Topics
Labor Markets
We look at current conditions in the district’s labor markets and trends affecting its workers, as well as topics related to healthy labor markets, such as workforce development and education.
Recent Articles
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Estimating the Trend Unemployment Rate in the Fourth Federal Reserve District
We estimate trend unemployment rates for Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia, states that span parts of the Fourth District of the Federal Reserve System. Our estimated unemployment rate trend for the District as a whole stood at 5.7 percent in 2020:Q1 compared to a 4.7 percent observed unemployment rate within the District, implying a tight labor market by historical standards. Read More
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Skills Are Bridges Not Gaps: A Skills-Based Approach for Transitioning Workers to Higher-Paying Occupations
Skills-based hiring practices—those that prioritize skills necessary to succeed in a role over formal educational credentials—show potential for securing higher positions for lower-wage workers and helping employers get the workers they need. Read More
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Opportunity Occupations: A Way Ahead for People without a College Degree
People with bachelor’s degrees typically earn better wages and experience higher employment rates than workers who do not. Yet, more than two-thirds of US adults currently do not have a college degree. Since 2015, the Cleveland Fed, in partnership with Atlanta and Philadelphia Feds, has been exploring these trends by identifying occupations that pay above the national annual median wage and are generally accessible to those without a four-year college degree. Read More
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For Too Many Minority Workers, Earnings Still Don’t Add Up
Gaps in earnings—the annual wage of workers aged 16 and older—matter. While there are some reasons for optimism, there is also a need for ongoing vigilance about how this economy is playing out in real time for minority workers and their families. Read More
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Making Change: Addressing Skills-training and Employment Needs for Returning Citizens
Finding a quality job is important for both formerly incarcerated individuals and the communities in which they live. One Cleveland-area program is helping, but the need for additional support for this vulnerable population is great. Read More